Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Thai. This is just a sampling of the ethnic food choices you can find in abundance at T&T, Canada’s largest supermarket chain. Imagine an entire aisle filled with all kinds of Asian noodles, another aisle filled with different of dumplings, and another with every kind of Asian sauce imaginable. Getting hungry yet?
If you like to cook Asian food at home, or prefer to take it home already prepared, T&T is the store that has everything, including free parking. Even better, the prices are very reasonable, especially on ethnic/exotic items that cost a fortune if you can find them at your local Metro or Loblaw’s. Items such as star fruit, lemongrass, pea shoots, taro root, and long beans are readily available and so inexpensive. Don’t feel like cooking? You can choose from a huge assortment of Chinese dishes on their steam table, freshly prepared sushi, dumplings, noodle dishes, barbequed and roasted chickens, ducks, and pork. Portion sizes are generous and well priced. If you go 30 minutes before closing, you can usually get 50% off on sushi. After a long day of shopping, you can eat at their dim sum café which is filled with a variety of Asian cuisine. Check out their weekly flyers online before you go to see what’s on special and sign up for their points card to collect points towards free food for every $20 you spend.
In addition, T&T sells cooking equipment, such and steamers, and utensils, baked goods, including fresh bread, pastries, and cakes, and has an amazing produce section. Check out their fish section, with their aquarium of live crabs, lobsters, geoduck, and fresh fish. Fishmongers clean and gut the fish for you. In their butcher area, you can get some great Asian cuts of meat, such as thinly sliced ribeye and beef short ribs. T&T stores are spacious, well-lit, and have the fastest check out counters anywhere. They also hold a fun-filled and popular night market in the summer.
Would you eat these?
Headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, Cindy Lee, a Taiwanese-Canadian, opened its first store in 1993. The name T&T represents the names of Lee’s two daughters, Tina and Tiffany. Since then, it has rapidly expanded to include ten stores across B.C., five in Alberta, nine in Ontario, including downtown Toronto. The chain’s 25th location will open at the corner of Bayview Avenue and St. John’s Sideroad in the fall of 2018. Loblaw Companies purchased the chain in 2009.
Have you been to T&T? Let us know in the comments.
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** UPDATE: T&T has backpedaled on a plan to cut paid breaks, following the public’s anger over some Tim Hortons’ franchises decision to slash perks in response to Ontario’s $2.40 minimum wage increase, the Star reported. **
The largest Asian supermarket in Canada is in major turmoil. Serious complaints from employees at T&T Supermarket have come to light.
According to the Star, the grocery giant claimed “it implemented a number of changes last year to make its operations more competitive and attractive to talent. These included better pension conditions, higher starting wages, as well as the elimination of pay breaks.” This was clearly false.
Now, we know the truth. The supermarket supposedly terminated lots of employees late last year and now are facing a number of other “serious allegations.” Some of these include, “laying off older and longer-time employees, cutting hours of part-time workers, and cutting back benefits for full-time long-term staff.” These issues were sent in a letter to Labour Minister Kevin Flynn from the Toronto based Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic. Apparently, most of these issues began post-November 2017, stated the Star.
“T&T told the Star that the dismissals had nothing to do with tenure and that almost half the people recently let go had less than five years’ service with the company.” They were also forced to sign a confidential release form in exchange for an extra sum of money.
Most of the employees are immigrants with English as their second language and weren’t able to fully understand the document they were signing. The Star reports, “the letter raised concerns about how people understand their rights at the time they are being terminated.” It’s unjust not to allow people to understand their human rights. It’s appalling that these types of things are happening in the world in 2018. Even more disappointing, is it’s happening on Canadian soil.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJDSXc9hR8a/?taken-at=251002404
Source: The Star